


Mistaken Identity

by SisterWine



Category: Original Work
Genre: Forgotten Love, Healing, M/M, No More Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:41:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4758545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SisterWine/pseuds/SisterWine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: This is MINE! I do not buy, sell, trade, lend or copy. The characters and story are my own idea. <br/>Summary: A young man gets an extended holiday in California, but it isn't exactly what he suspects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

South River, NJ

"Hello, I'd like to confirm my ticket to Santa Barbara." Richard Asbury sat on his bed, next to his packed but open maroon Samsonite suitcase. He had been waiting for this trip for four years and was not about to let anyone talk him out of it. Running a hand through his hair, he waited for the booking agent to pull up his flight information. "Richard Asbury. Flight 8951." He stood up as he felt a bit impatient and walked around his 123 sq. ft. bedroom, fidgeting with his blue dress shirt buttons. His cell phone was held in place on his right shoulder by the tilt of his head, making his neck hurt. "Yes, round trip. I would like my return ticket set for two weeks." Checking his black suitpants and blue shirt in the sliding mirrors of his closet doors, he shrugged.

The faint knock at the door reminded him of his friend, whom he had met by accident in Asbury Park six years prior, who volunteered to watch his apartment while he was gone. Turning right at the bedroom doorway, he walked the short distance to the front door and let her in. "It's on-time? Great. Thank you." Taking the flip phone and closing it, he greeted the young blonde woman with a hug and then hurried back to his bedroom to close and lock the suitcase that took up the majority of the left side of the bed.

Patsy Kindle was an easy going, gypsy-styled young woman in her late 20s who was attending the Community College at night and working in the same office building as Richard during the day. Long blonde hair was knitted together in a fishbone braid that had been pulled around to drape over her left shoulder, as she liked to play with the end at red lights. Her pastel pink chiffon dress had always been accented with a pair of plain brown flip-flops and big, floppy straw hat. She had been a native of New Jersey but dreamed to be on the beaches of Havana, when she was not working.

"I've already watered the plants (two in the living room and one in the bedroom) and ran the dishwasher." Richard came out of the bedroom, holding the handle but rolling the large suitcase by the wheels on the bottom. "The plumber should be here tomorrow afternoon, about three, to fix the faucet in the tub. Would you let him in? Oh, and- I've let Mr. Tisbury know that you will be using my parking space. My car is in the shop and it should be done on Thursday." The directions spilled out of his mouth as he made his way to stand in the middle of the living room, where she now stood, before letting him take a breath of air.

She shook her head and smiled up at him. "Rich, you've been working too hard for this retreat for too long. Don't worry about what goes on here. You're wound so tight now, you'll forget where you're going before you even get on the plane." Raising up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, as she had been a few inches shorter than him. "Oh, if you can't smuggle back some sand and a few margaritas, don't worry about it. We'll get 'em later." Patsy helped him take one last look around before shooing him out the door and into her small, white Corsica. "Have the ticket?" Pulling out of the space, she only glanced over at him while they made their way to the street and out to the freeway.

"At the gate."

The early evening sun had just started descending, making it hard to see out of her windscreen. As she pulled down the visor, she asked, "got the maps and cash?" Patsy waited to clear the on-ramp of the freeway before nudging him out of his daydream and back to the passenger seat beside her.

Richard turned from the window back to her as the question was repeated. "In my back pocket."

Patsy nodded. "Good." 

The car pulled up to the gate entrance and both of them got out to remove the suitcase from the trunk and say goodbye. They hugged for what seemed to be forever but only a minute before she was ushered to move her vehicle. One last hug and kiss as he handed his bag to the porter and claimed his ticket from the small E-desk, just outside the door, and then disappeared through the sliding doors of the terminal.

~~~

Santa Barbara, CA

The outside patio to the boardwalk bistro was hardly a new experience. Nicholas Hanson had his lunch there every Tuesday and it was always the same thing; BLT on rye, hold the onions, with extra tomatoes and olives, and a nice tall glass of iced tea with lemon. He was a creature of habit and his habit was about to become a good thing. His table was always in the far right corner of the fenced off area, and he always faced out to admire the ocean.

A big sigh and another bite of his sandwich kept his attention away until it was almost too late for him to spot the young man walking along the beach. As he chewed his bite and swallowed, his eyes surveyed the influx of tourists and natives walking along the beach. Wiping his mouth with his napkin and standing up, Nicholas did his best to look around the people passing by to get a better look at the young man by the water. "Michael," he whispered. As he looked down at his phone that had started ringing as it sat on the table, next to his tea, he scooped it up and quickly answered it. "Hello? Henry! I've found him, Henry." When he surveyed the beach again, the young man he had spotted before was nowhere in sight. "What do you mean who? Michael. He was on the beach, just now." Nicholas turned and climbed up onto his white, wrought iron chair scanned the mixed crowd again. "No, Doctor, I have not been drinking. I am sitting here, at the bistro, having my lunch. It was only by chance that I spotted him."

Dr. Henry Madison had been Nicholas' friend and physician for many years and trusted what Nicholas had told him about the young man's life. At first, Henry thought they had moved away from this fascination of Michael but not it was becoming obvious that he would have to act, soon. Leaving instructions for Nicholas to only be on the look out and to call if he spotted the man again, Henry hung up and consulted a file he kept on Nicholas' mystery man.

Nicholas finished his lunch and hastily paid and left, trying desperately to find the young man he had spotted on the beach. A breeze tugged gently at his short curly black hair. Dark sunglasses helped with holding the glare of the sun at bay as he darted in and out of the crowd on the boardwalk. After an hour and a half of looking, he decided to give up for the day and vowed to try again the next morning.

That evening, he and Henry went over all of the details and arrangements to get the young mystery man's attention. Nicholas had been a bit more enthusiastic than the doctor.

"I need you to prepare his medication. A new batch, just in case. I've finally found him and I am not going to let anything happen to my chance of getting him back." Nicholas, a dashing young architect who owned his own building company, sat across from his friend and made a list about things they needed. Two goblets of red wine sat less than half full on the oblong shaped polished oak coffee table. Two plush burgundy sofas sat on either side and both sat within the ray of warmth from the antique fireplace, to the right of Nicholas.

Henry sat back and exhaled silently, pulling off his reading glasses to clean on a piece of white cloth he had retrieved from his jacket pocket. "Nick, what if- on the off-chance- this young man is not Michael? How do you wish to pursue informing the lad of the innocent mistake of identity?" Checking his work in the ceiling light above, he replaced his glasses to see Nicholas shake his head adamantly.

"He is Michael, Henry. Same hair colour, although it is a little shorter now, but he is the same height and about the same weight as Michael was." Nicholas tried to recall the glimpse of the young man on the beach and compare it to Michael. "When he walked, he swung his shoes that he carried."

"A lot of people do when they are on the beach." Henry had to calm the other man down as his enthusiasm was getting out of hand.

Shaking his head, Nicholas added, "but not all rotate them like he did." Standing up and heading for the kitchen via separate entry, behind him and to the left of the fireplace, he fetched the near empty wine bottle to refill their glasses. "I'm telling you, this is Michael. I saw him, today, on the beach." When he came back, the doctor was standing and waiting for him. "I need your help to convince him to come back to me. Can you do that?"

The doctor thought a moment. "Yes. I think I can do that."

"Good. I will take the day off, tomorrow, and we will look for him together. If not, I will search again on Thursday."

 

Next.


	2. Chapter 2

For a day at the beach, a little overcast and some rain had been a good thing for just the perfect moment in time. Though many families had packed up and left for the day, the evening had made its own little crowd of loving couples and playful University kids on summer break. For the singles, it had been a time to reflect on either being single or dreaming of what love might be like. Tonight was no exception.

He strolled down the boardwalk for an hour, daydreaming and reveling in the sea breeze and loose feel of the ocean. The city life had made him weary and he deserved a vacation, on the other side of the country, from it. His chestnut hair was shaggy but scraped his collar on his light blue button-up long-sleeved shirt. Hands in the pockets of his white cotton pants that had been rolled at the ankles and bare feet that had been tanned with the afternoon's sun. A slender young man in his early 30s was feeling younger by the minute as the stress of the New Jersey city life rapidly melted away.

Dodging the occasional bicycler and playful children, he strolled down the wooden walkway and stopped to admire the innocent views of the small shops on the strip. As he looked around at the people on the boardwalk, he wasn't surprised when his eyes passed over two men, one much older than the other. Shivering as he calmed himself into coincidence, he couldn't help but feel that they had been stalking him the whole day. Perhaps he should call it a day and head back to the hotel.

Catching a small glance at the two men, he started as the younger of the two, dressed in a gray business suit, took a step toward him. Being apart of the Jersey crowd, he knew how to handle himself in a fight; however, he hadn't been so sure about what was about to happen in California. Figuring not to get into trouble, quickly he turned and jogged further down the boardwalk, close to where his hotel was located.

"Wait! Stop! Look out!" The voice of the younger man of the two gentlemen was yelling at him from 25 steps back.

That had been just enough distraction for him to turn his head while his body ran smack into a bicyclist that was dressed for a marathon. The cyclist stopped and they collided, sending him sprawling back with a thump on the hot wooden planks. He lay there with his eyes closed, waiting for the world to stop spinning before opening them.

"Is he alright?" The cyclist seemed genuinely worried.

Another voice that sounded from right beside him answered the question, "yea, he's just a little stunned."

The cyclist stared down at the man he hit and watched him open his eyes in a daze of confusion. Obvious pain contorted his expression. "He should see a doctor." 

Blurred blue eyes tried to find their focus on the face that loomed over him but it was impossible to see past the ringing in his ears and the sharp pain in back of his head. 

"Thank you. I will have my physician check him out when we get home. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sure he'll be alright. The sun was just a bit much for him, today." Curly, short black hair framed a chiseled face. His brown eyes smiled down at the young man in his arms, now fighting to stand up. He had looked about the young man, brushing his fingers lightly over the bump on the back of the young man's head. "Do you know where you are?" Taking the shake of the head as an answer, he smiled to himself and stood up, pulling the young man to his feet. "Careful, my boy, you've had a busy day. Come, let's get you home." He had turned them around and walked back up the boardwalk after waving the cyclist away. The man's arm around the younger man's shoulders was about the only thing keeping him upright.

His thoughts were scattered. Who was he? Where was he? Who was holding him up? "Home? Do I know you? You-- know me?"

The man laughed as they had made it back over to the older man, who had been walking up to them. "Michael, of course you know who I am. I'm Nicholas Hanson. Nick?" Stopping as the third man joined them, he turned to the young man. "You do remember your fiancé, right?"

Michael scratched his head softly. "My what? Is she here?"

The two older men exchanged looks and smiled as the older of the three shook his head. "Michael, this is your fiancé. Nicholas." The man was graying but had already silvered around the sides of his thinning hair. Thin-rimmed glasses and a round face made the man believable. He was handsome for mid-fifties and well-maintained in the body. The only difference between Nicholas and the older gentleman was their age. Both had been around the same height and all three had stood within an inch taller than the other.

"Are you his father?"

The older man laughed heartily at the comment. "No, no, my boy. I'm his doctor. Your doctor. My name is Dr. Henry Madison. Come, let's get back to the house so I can check you out and give you something for that headache you must have." As Michael looked down at the wooden planks in front of him, Nicholas and the doctor shared a sly grin.

~~~

"There we are, my boy. Except for the bump and some dizziness, your head should clear up after some rest. Don't worry about feeling foggy. If we can get you back to your routine, it should all come back, in time." Dr. Madison put away his stethoscope and eyed the young man lying on Nicholas' elegant queen-sized bed. He had already instructed Michael to remove his clothing, saying that Michael had always preferred to be naked around the house.

Michael had done so but felt reluctant to show his nicely kept body, eventhough the doctor insisted it was a normal thing for him to parade around in the nude. "Are you sure? I don't feel this is right; me being naked in a strange-- Nick's home." He sat up and swung his long legs over the side, trying to hide his waking manhood.

Nick leaned against the doorframe and smiled at the scene. "How did he fair, Henry? Will he be able to walk down the aisle next week?" Looking from the doctor to Michael, Nick strolled over to his young lover and kissed the top of his head.

Dr. Madison zipped up his bag that sat on the dresser between the bedroom door and the bathroom door and turned to look at the two men. "Oh, yes. He'll be good as new by then." Holding a syringe with yellow liquid in it out to Nick, the doctor reminded him, "don't forget his medication. I left several vials on the dresser and will be back to check on him tomorrow. Good night, gents. You'll do just fine, Michael. You just need to get back into your regular habits is all." Tossing a smile at Nick and placing the syringe into the man's jacket pocket, he excused himself from the room.

"Wait for me downstairs, Henry. There's something I want to ask you." Nick turned back from the doorway to Michael and bent down to kiss the youth on the lips before excusing himself to talk to the physician. "I'll be right back, my love."

The beachfront home had been cleanly decorated in fine arts and scarce furniture. A grand marble staircase sat in the middle of the first floor, separating the den from the kitchen and living room. They had stopped in mid-descent to talk, keeping their voices low.

While the doctor had kept Michael busy with simple tests, Nick had taken the opportunity to remove the clothing Michael wore, rifling through the pockets. "The cardkey says The Edson, 2224." Handing the doctor a small, thick brown wallet. "Check him out and bring his things to my office."

Madison nodded and reminded the other on the dosage and time of the next shot. "See you tomorrow, Nick." With a final smile, the man was gone from the house.

~~~

The rest of the night had been no different for Michael. He had made his way, naked, around the spacious and slightly chilly home, trying to remember his strange environment. Deflated, he shook his head. "Nothing. This is all strange to me." He stopped in front of the roaring fire in the antiquated fireplace and stared up at the Van Gogh painting that hung on the mantle, his back to the other man. His hands permanently fixed covering his groin. "My head still hurts."

Nicholas had been admiring the young man's exquisite body since they had been home. Wetting his lips and strolling up to stand behind him, he placed his warm, strong hands on Michael's cool forearms. "It will all come back. Don't force it, my love."

Michael turned around to stare at Nick. "Why do you keep calling me that? I don't know you,-- do I?"

With his arms now fully around the younger man, and their noses barely touching, Nick smiled. "Yes, Mikey, you do know me. And you are going to be my husband, next week. Now, the doctor said to get you into your routine, and so we shall." Placing Michael's arms around his own waist and pressing himself against the naked body, Nick started slow in kissing him, gingerly easing his hands down to the young, firm buttocks that warmed with the fire. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he carefully kept the lad busy as he readied the next dose of yellow liquid. 

"Ouch."

Nick smiled and kissed Michael again, apologising for the pain of the injection.

"I need headache medicine every two hours, in the ass?" Michael pulled away.

Another hushed laugh as Nick explained. "No. This is your medication for your blood sugar. You insisted that you couldn't take a needle in the arm so, you have me insert it elsewhere." 

Michael tilted his head in thought. "I'm diabetic?"

"No. But, these shots keep you from becoming one." Rubbing the prick site, Nick kissed him again and pressed them together. "Are you hungry yet? I've made us some salad and sandwiches."

Nodding, Michael agreed and let Nick lead him into the dining room where two bowls of salads and sandwiches awaited them at the small, glass table. The soft peach carpet and blue-grey walls made the room look a little bigger than it was. The dining room and kitchen had been attached to each other whereas the dining room and living room were separated by a wall. The kitchen being slightly bigger than the dining room measured about the same square footage as the living room. The curtains had been closed at Michael's request, being that he was naked and didn't want everyone outside to see him.

They sat in silence and ate. Michael would occasionally shift his position on the black vinyl chair as if trying to conceal his firm and mysterious erection.

Nick's brow furrowed as he took a bite of sandwich. Chewing and swallowing the bite, he looked through the glass of the table and noted the arousal of the man across from him. "Everything alright, my love?"

Face flushing, Michael nodded. "Does the medication always-- *ahem* make me,... you know?"

"Horny?" Nick asked with a smile. "Yes. And every time it does, you have to relieve yourself of it."

Michael straightened, hands flying to cover his manhood. "If I go pee, it'll go away?"

"Not pee, no. More like sex."

"Sex?" Michael swallowed hard. "With you?"

"Michael, we are hardly strangers in bed. And, yes, sex with me. You have always preferred it with a man." Nick put his fork down after placing a cherry tomato in his mouth and letting the juice spray the inside of his mouth as he smushed it. "Come. I will go slow for tonight. Okay?"

Reluctantly taking the offered hand, Michael allowed himself to be led upstairs and into the bedroom, once again. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched, curiously, as Nick undressed. The older man was very nicely built and not a shred of gray or fat on him. Michael assumed they both must workout often. Catching Nick's eye, he quickly averted his to look around the room. A light tan room with white doors and framing. To the left of him was the closed closet door, and to his right was the window with lace curtains. The room door was ahead and to the left, as the master bathroom was ahead and to the right of him. In between had been Nick, now naked and readying himself for sex.

"Lay back and spread your legs, my love." Nick's voice was husky with passion.

Oddly enough, Michael obliged the request. "Don't we need lotion or something?" His eyes never left the throbbing erection that seemed too big to fit inside his body.

Nick knelt down and grinned at his lover. "Not necessarily." Reaching up and spreading the soft globes of flesh, he began running his tongue against the warm crack, dabbing into the tight hole with the tip. Gasps and cooing kept him going until his own erection ached for something more. Gathering saliva in his mouth, Nick spat a wad of wetness into the tight hole and then moved to help Michael lay further back on the bed. 

"Condom?" The word came out instead of meeting the other man's lips as Nick loomed above.

"Of course." Nick kissed Michael's lips and slinked off of the bed and over to a drawer in the honey-oak dresser with matching mirror. It was a low, three-drawer high and three-drawer wide dresser with a big, elegant square mirror on top. The top corner drawer next to the bedroom door was where Nick had retrieved the condoms from. As he turned back to his lover, he tossed the extra one as well as the empty wrapper of the one he held in his hand, and walked back to the bed, sliding the latex down onto his erection. "Ready?"

A shaky nod.

Nick crawled onto the bed to lie beside Michael. "Don't worry, I promise you'll remember this." Placing two fingers to his lips, he spit again, making sure it was a sizable amount, and eased his fingers between Michael's legs. The middle finger was first, letting the spit slick the opening before pressing the first finger in.

A sharp hiss as Michael raised up on his elbows to watch the ministrations of the other man. He was being stretched with fingers and his curiosity of having Nick's rather large manhood inside was giving him second thoughts. As the fingers started a sawing motion, Michael's eyes widened as Nick was moving his body to better accommodate his lover during their play. He watched Nick hold himself at Michael's opening and slipped the slick fingers out before quickly replacing them with the big head of his cock.

It had been Nick's turn to gasp. "Oh, my love, you are so tight. It is amazing how you've managed to go this long without my body in yours." Gingerly, he slid himself deeper inch by extremely slow inch, reveling in the tightness of his lover's channel. When he was completely inside, he paused at Michael's request as he wiped away beaded tears at the corners of Michael's eyes. "It's alright." Kissing the youth again, he placed a hand on Michael's hip as he slowly removed himself only to press himself back in a little faster this time.

At the fourth push in, Michael placed both hands flat against Nick's slightly hairy chest and asked to stop completely. He was relieved when Nick agreed and slowly withdrew. He apologised to the other man but was reassured that it was not time yet for full sex. With his erection still maddeningly hard, he started to excuse himself to the bathroom but was halted as Nick carefully wrapped a firm hand around Michael's shaft and jerked him off, lovingly.

Michael was soon lost in passion and forgot that someone else- someone strange to him- was giving him a hand job. Laying flat on his back with his eyes closed, Michael only gasped as Nick's warm mouth closed around his length and started a sucking motion until he couldn't take it anymore. Blushing and cooing as he panted, Michael didn't open his eyes as he realised that he was being graciously swallowed.

 

Next.


	3. Chapter 3

Michael laid there in the dark bedroom with only the moonlight shining through the window, and thought. It was the middle of the night and only one of them was able to sleep soundly. Nick slept beside him yet both men had kept their distance. He had talked Nick into giving him a gray T-shirt and blue-gray and purple polka-dotted boxers to where as the whole "nakedness" was only making him cold. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, every once and awhile he would glance over at Nick sleeping peacefully beside him. He felt odd. Not sure if he should sleep in another man's bed or get up and sleep on the sofa, downstairs.

It was decided. Pulling back the covers and easing out of bed, Michael slipped silently from the bedroom. Padding softly down the cold marble steps, he looked around the first floor and settled in the room with the fireplace. The rest of the house was dark and quiet except for the moonlight that poured in through the windows. The fire in the den had burned to smolderings but the room was still warm from the heat that Michael curled around an arm of a plush white sofa and rest his head on his folded arms. The occasional pop of wood made him jump but not enough to keep him awake. He lay there and stared at the bits of fire before finally closing his eyes to sleep.

His dreams were fuzzy and grainy and he felt like he was in a fog when he tried to think of who he was. The sound was gone from his name and people around him were faceless but he could see every other feature about them. Struggling to make light of his dark, shadowy dreams, Michael tried to move the dream on further to see if there was something else he might remember. Nicholas has been the only person he could see and hear clearly in his dreams. His mind seemed to be telling him about the other man but Michael wasn't sure he should believe what he saw. They were kissing and making love quite passionately in full view of a crowd of beachgoers but they hadn't paid attention to be discreet.

The cold waves of the ocean and warm wind on his face gave Michael the feeling of being out in the ocean. As he lifted his face up to look at the sun and it's brightness, he felt lips touch his in a soft kiss. His body was warmed as a white, knit blanket was draped over him. It had been the pinch of his bottom that awakened him with a start.

"Good morning, love. Sleep better down here than in our bed?" Once again Nick was dressed in a sharp tan business suit complete with white pinstriped shirt and brown tie. He had come downstairs early and found his lover asleep in the den. After closing one blind to shield Michael's face, he left the second one open to let in the morning light. Nick smiled down at the young man he now sat beside on the sofa. 

Michael stretched his legs out from their cramped position and took a deep inward breath before rubbing his eyes and moving to sit up. The hours had passed so fast that Michael felt that he had just gotten comfortable when it was time to wake up. "What time is it?" His head cleared only so much before realising that Nick had given him another shot of whatever that liquid was. Absently, he pulled the blanket around to cover his legs.

Nick smiled and handed Michael a dark blue mug of coffee that he had placed on the coffee table while he administered the drug to the younger man. "It's about 8:30. Would you like some breakfast?" A sly glance down as Michael held the blanket over his growing erection made him smile and think about other activities.

"Uh, yea. I'll be right there. I just have to--" Michael blushed. He didn't want a repeat of the night before and have the already awkward situation go from strange to worse. Wrapping the blanket more around him, Michael stood up and turned to look for the restroom on the first floor.

Standing up as well, Nick pointed the way to where Michael had been looking. "Through the livingroom, on the left, there is a half-bath." He continued to speak as Michael walked in the direction that he pointed to. "I will make us some scrambled eggs and toast. Is that alright?"

"Sure!" With the blanket wrapped around his waist, Michael hurried into the small room that housed only a wash basin and toilet. Flipping on the light and shutting the door, he found it a small but neatly furnished room. The walls were an Indian-clay colour, with a round, white wash basin that stood alone to the left of the door, and a small, tankless toilet to the right. Gathering the blanket and setting it, in a rolled wad, on the basin, he took a breath and sank to his knees in front of the toilet. Raising the lid and noticing the clean porcelain, he was thankful that Nick hadn't made a move toward him for sex.

Pushing the blue-gray and purple polka dotted material down, Michael started to stroke himself. Being already very hard, it wasn't going to take long to accomplish before rejoining Nick at the breakfast table. He hadn't been able to picture any women or men that he might have been with so him thoughts defaulted to the prior night with Nicholas and what almost happened. Oddly enough, he found himself thinking about the other man going much further than they really had. His strokings quickened as he imagined the older man working up a speed, sweat glistening on his body, and finally the outcome of their venture. Sighs and pants and moans were becoming impossible to keep quiet and he prayed that Nick hadn't heard him from the kitchen. One more firm tug and Michael found himself gripping the toilet seat with his free hand and leaning over to make sure the spray of semen hit the bowl.

Gathering himself and letting the shaking of his body subside, Michael thought about why he chose to settle on Nick instead of some big-breasted, faceless, pinup model. Since he had been struggling to figure out who he was, he hadn't thought twice that Nick might have been right in telling him that he and Nick were lovers. Or, it could have been strictly due to their play being the only stimulating and recent occurrence Michael had known since his bump on the head.

Standing up and replacing his boxers on his hips, Michael flushed the toilet and put the lid down to place the blanket there so he could wash his hands. A tan, neatly folded handtowel had been placed on the left side of the basin and the plain soap dispenser with fruity soap had been placed on the right. It had been immaculately clean in the small room and Michael was embarrassed to have contaminated it by using the toilet and basin in such a dirtying way. Washing and drying his hands, he tried to replace the towel as it had been and backed out of the room with the blanket in his arms.

Michael turned off the light and turned to see Nick sitting pleasantly on the arm of another plush white sofa, smiling at him. "Uh, hi. Breakfast ready?"

"Yes. More coffee or orange juice?" Nick smiled faintly at Michael's embarrassment. Standing and holding out his hand to guide Michael back to the dining table, Nick gave no mention that he had heard every pant and moan Michael gave and he, himself, was getting aroused. Taking the wad of blanket from Michael and quickly folding it loosely and draping it on the arm of the sofa he was just sitting on, he followed the young man in to the dining room.

"Coffee, please." Michael hadn't wanted to admit that his shivers were not from the cool air but that he had just done something dirty in another man's restroom. It was best to stick to the "cold" story and hope Nick wasn't offended.

The blinds had been opened and the breakfast plates sat ready and waiting with equal amounts of eggs, bacon, toast and small glasses of water. Michael had been somewhat impressed with Nick's display of hostly duties that he couldn't help but complement his host on how wonderful everything looked. "Wow! It looks so good. I may not want to eat it."

While Michael had been in the restroom, Nick had collected Michael's coffee mug and freshened the cup before setting it down in front of the young man as he sat down in his chair. "I assure you, it will be the same tomorrow. No sense wasting good food to stare at it. Please eat, you'll need your strength."

"For what?"

Nick unfolded his napkin that sat beside his plate and placed it in his lap before picking up his fork and stabbing a piece of egg. "For your checkup, this afternoon. Dr. Madison is stopping by to make sure you are alright, remember?"

Michael concluded his curiosity. "Oh." Taking a bite of eight-grain toast with low-fat butter, he reached for his water for a sip. He hadn't seen Nick watching him like a proud mother over her toddler but he felt the other's eyes just the same as he finally delved into his eggs, placing a forkful onto the piece of toast in his hand and taking a bite.

"Did you remember to do that?" Nick paused from eating and set his fork down, watching Michael in awe. He remembered to tell Michael about the clothing issue and certain bedtime habits Michael had but not the eggs and toast. For a second, his smile returned and the glint in his eye saw the young man he loved and not a bewildered stranger with his lover's body.

Pausing, bent over his plate with his toast and eggs still in hand, Michael swallowed his bite and stared across the table as if he had done something wrong. "Do what?"

Nick smiled more. "You placed your eggs on your toast as if you knew you liked it that way."

Looking like a deer in headlights, Michael responded, "Don't most people do that?"

"I suppose." The smile faded but the glint in his eye was hopeful as they finished their morning meal in silence.

~~~

Dr. Madison greeted them with a cheerful hello and a smile as he set his medical bag down on the coffee table, in the den, and sat down on the sofa facing the kitchen. Nick and Michael sat on the sofa across from him. "So, Michael, how was your first night? A little scary, I suppose. Has Nicholas treated you well?"

"It was fine." Michael hadn't another explanation to give as the doctor was the one who made him uncomfortable.

Madison nodded in agreement. "Good, good. How is your head? Still hurt, or fuzzy at all?" He wanted to take a few minutes before the exam to see how Michael was adjusting to his new surroundings, and lover. He had read the young man's driver's license and looked at the few pictures of the youth and a girl named Patsy and was not totally convinced that Nick's plan of attack would work. From what he could tell, the "Richard" and the girl looked very happy together according to their vacation pictures.

Raising a hand to feel the bump on the back of his head, Michael jumped slightly at the touch. "It doesn't hurt that much. It's only fuzzy when I try to remember something." Clasping his hands and placing them in his lap, he had to control himself from shaking. He was growing impatient with the niceties and wanted to get the checkup part over with as soon as possible.

Nick had smiled at the doctor as the older gentleman glanced his way. "Henry, I think he's coming back. He might have brushed it off with a side-lined gesture but this morning he placed his scrambled eggs on his toast and ate them until his eggs were gone." Nick beamed in the thought of their breakfast.

"Well done, my boy. I'm sure the rest will come flooding back to you anytime now." Standing up, the doctor opened his bag and took out his thermometre and penlight. "Now, shall we get on with our evaluation?" Placing the thermometre under Michael's tongue and taking his heartrate by holding a thin wrist, Henry waited for the bell before checking Michael's eyes and ears. Next was the reflexes and he had to laugh as Michael's legs didn't want to cross completely due to the concealed erection.

Clearing his throat, Michael inched backward on the sofa to a comfortable distance as the evaluation ended. "Well, will I live?"

Henry smiled and chuckled as he sat back down and closed his bag. "Oh yes. I'm sure you will have returned fully by next week. Before you know it, you will be headlong in wedding plans and decorations." He had been so busy closing his bag that he hadn't seen the expression change on Michael's face.

"I- I think it's a bit early for wedding plans. Maybe we can postpone it until I really figure this out?" Turning and looking fully at Nick, Michael saw the faintness of hurt in the other man's eyes as Nick only replaced his smile and nodded calmly. "Excuse me. I have to use the restroom." Michael stood up at an angle that made his arousal less obvious and turned to hurry to the half-bath he had been in earlier.

"Of course, my boy." Waiting for Michael to be out of earshot, Henry turned back to Nick and raised his eyebrows and the day's events. "Have you enough of a supply, or do you need more?"

Nick crossed his legs and folded his hands on his right knee. "I have enough for a few more days. If you would drop off the prescription at my office, by Friday, we will determine if we need to continue them or not." So far, Nick hadn't pressed the issue of sex but was pleased enough to relish the sounds of moans and pants that came from the restroom each time Michael felt the effects of the drug. "I think, in a few more days, he might be ready to take it to the next level."

Henry leaned in, his brow furrowed in thought. "If this young man truly is Michael, he should be himself by the weekend. But, Nicholas, if this poor young man is merely a look-a-like, the trauma of this entire rouse might be too upsetting even for a normal young man."

Nodding, Nick concluded before the restroom door opened and Michael was on his way back to them. "Until I see a little more of the real Michael in him, we will both be in the dark. Have you brought his things to my office?"

"Yes. His plane ticket says he is here for two weeks. Ample time to sort this out. Just be careful." The doctor warned and quickly replaced his smile as Michael approached the sofa where he had been sitting. "Well Michael, I leave you in Nick's capable hands. I will be back in a few days to see how you are fairing then." Standing up and shaking both their hands, the doctor gathered his bag and excused himself to the door.

Nick stood up and made his way to the kitchen to set his own coffee cup, that he had been nurturing, in the sink and then back into the den to explain to Michael that he needed to leave. "I will leave you to get to know the house a bit more. I have to stop by my office for a bit, but I will be back soon. Feel free to take a shower or to wander around or take a nap. I shouldn't be too long. Tonight, we'll go to the beach, sound good?"

Michael tried to make sense of what Nick was saying. "You're leaving me? Here? Alone?" He wasn't completely sure he liked that idea. The house didn't bother him but it was the idea of being alone that made it uncomfortable.

"Just for a bit. My cell number is by the refrigerator, next to the phone. You can call me if you need anything." Coming around to stand in front of Michael, Nick quickly leaned over and kissed him and to his surprise, he wasn't met with uncertainty. "Mm. Still taste as lovely. I will see you in a while, okay?" Not waiting for the answer, Nick patted Michael's left arm and stepped around him to the door. "Goodbye, my love. Oh, I have some turkey in the refrigerator. I thought we would have that for dinner, alright?"

"Sure." Michael turned around to watch as Nick smiled in return and shut the door behind him as he left.

Next.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael spent the day wandering around the house, in its entirety. He had already washed the dishes and silverware of their morning meal and rifled through the cabinets and drawers to find their places. Studying the notes and clips on the steel doors of the refrigerator, he came across the note Nick had wrote with his number on it. Tiny, perfect handwriting and fluid numbers said alot about the other man, much like the house he was in. The downstairs was self-explanatory so he started with the upstairs. 

The house was annoyingly quiet, except for the occasional sound of the icemaker dropping ice into the tray. Michael had never heard anything so quiet as this house. The small, 10 inch television that sat on the stone, faux fireplace mantle, next to the half-bath, would have to do for noise since he wasn't about to even guess what Nick had for music to listen to. Making a roundabout way to the stairs, he clicked on the small, gray television set and turned the volume up. Not worrying about the channel being mostly news, he was just glad there was another voice to keep him company. Now, he continued upstairs to look around.

He migrated toward the bedroom and opened the dresser drawers one by one, looking through Nick's clothing. "Neat freak." A mumble escaped him as he opened the underwear drawer and found folded briefs on one side and rolled boxers on the other. The chill of the air conditioner kicking on sent a shudder through his body as he had still been wearing his T-shirt and boxers Nick had given him.

The other drawers were that similar. The various coloured polo T-shirts were folded neatly in the drawer above the rolled white socks, and the "weekend" jeans were in the very bottom drawer, folded neatly into the small square shape. The top left drawer was where he lingered the longest; the drawer where Nick had retrieved the two condoms. Beyond the condoms, he found KY jelly, silk ribbons and various sexual toys. In the far back of the drawer was where he found something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Pictures," he gasped, "of.... me?" Michael was thoroughly confused. He sat down on the edge of the bed and examined every single picture in the small stack he had found. The third picture in the stack of 15 showed a younger man with longer hair and naked from the waist up (as where the picture ends) sitting along side someone whose shoulder was the only visible part in the picture. The younger man was smiling widely and looking off to his right at someone or something out of frame. Michael looked up and stared at himself in the mirror about the dresser, then back to the picture. "This can't be me."

He stood and went over to the mirror to place the picture side by side with himself and try to mimic the expression in the picture. The face in the mirror was a little older but he was definitely the man in the picture. Michael shook his head in disbelief and started checking the backs of every photo for a name or a year. The back of one that had he and another man in big straw hats and overalls, sitting on a parade float, had the name "Michael" and the event name in big, bold letters underneath "PRIDE." The date on another one was set back a total of seven years but Michael had trouble remembering the day before yesterday, let alone seven years ago.

Leaving the stack on the bed, Michael wandered into the bathroom. The spa/bathtub sat off to one corner and looked big enough for three people to sit comfortably in. Black porcelain with low jets sat on a raised step next to a tall, slim shower with a glazed glass door. While the washing appliances took up the left side of the room, the toilet and small linen closet took up the right. On the back of the toilet, in front of the small window, he found a small, handmade vase with rolled paper roses, coloured in red, blue and yellow. He smiled at the roses and pictured himself rolling the paper to make them.

The whole house seemed to be spotlessly clean and organized. Not one thing had been out of place. Standing in the doorway, Michael stared at the bed and envisioned himself underneath Nick's toned body, making love to him and laughing and kissing; the complete opposite of the night before. 

His eyes flicked over other areas of the room and stopped at the closet door. Making his hurried way over to the door, he opened it cautiously. Someone living in that clean of a house must have some place to keep the excess. What he thought he might find had been wrong. The medium-sized, walk-in closet was just as neat and organized as the rest of the house. 

He searched around for the light on either side of the door only to find a hanging string in the middle of the room. As he pulled on the string, the room lit up the rows of business suits, neatly lined shoes and neckties. Pressed suits hanging neatly, according to colour, and even had matching ties wrapped around the neck of each suitjacket. The closet had been mostly full of suits but he noticed that neither the closet or the dresser had anything of his. "Must have lived somewhere else. But, I've never been here. Do I have a twin, or something?" He sighed and closed the closet door.

~~~

Nick sat in his lavish office on the 11th floor of the company high-rise. He had left specific instructions not to be disturbed, unless it was direly urgent. The Samsonite suitcase and carry-on sat open in the middle of the floor, Nick sat in front of it, the gray business-fashioned sofa sat to his left under a long, wide window that let in the day's bright light. The office door was to his right with the blinds on the thin strip windows on either side closed for privacy. 

As he picked out the items and looked at them, a smile came to his lips. "You've finally learned how to dress yourself, Michael." The cool chuckles flowed over each of the items he picked out of the suitcase. White cotton shirts and suitpants were both neatly folded and placed inside while the sides were stuffed with small trinkets from New Jersey. Nick paused when he came across a small package envelope of pictures from Michael's other life. As he laid it in his lap, something else in the inside side pocket caught his eye.

A small cellular flip phone. 

Nick flipped the phone open and turned it on. The picture on the screen was Michael and a beautiful young woman kissing in front of a boardwalk building in Atlantic City. His smile faded as he saw how happy Michael was in his new life. Skimming through the phone logs, Nick came to the conclusion that his new-found old flame was in love with the young woman as phone pics had indicated. The call logs showed that the name "Patsy" had rang him at least 10 times since the day Nick had seen Michael on the beach.

Moving back to the envelope in his lap, Nick opened it carefully and hesitantly flipped through the full roll of developed film. It was a full roll of nothing but places Michael and Patsy had visited, some even had one or both doing silly things in their poses. He had to smile at one picture of Michael looking back at a big blowfish that had puffed itself out and Michael trying to mimic it. Another had both of them lying on a bed of white linen, fully clothed and facing each other, taking a nap while holding hands. "I suppose you were happy when you left me," he whispered. 

The next piece of baggage that caught his attention was the carry-on, yellow suede bag that had sat to the right of the suitcase unnoticed until now. Dragging the bag around with him as he turned to prop himself against the sofa, Nick unzipped it and pulled random bits out of it. The bag of toothbrush and toothpaste that Dr. Madison had packed carefully on top, was the first removed. Nick had noticed that the toothpaste had been the brand that Nick had always used but Michael detested. He wondered why Michael used it when he hated the taste of chalky white paste but loved the feel of cool blue gel. Perhaps it had been a "Richard" thing. His next item was Richard's wallet.

"Richard Asbury, 15336, South River, New Jersey." Nick skimmed through the driver's license and absently whispered the address listed. "Asbury? South River? Michael, you went to Jersey City. How in the Hell did you get down to South River?" Putting that off to the side, Nick kept the name in the back of his mind while he went through the rest of the bag. Much to his surprise, he found a thick brown pill bottle full of chalky white pills and yellow and red gelcaps. Reading the bottle, it seemed that the white pills were much like his serum he had been injecting Michael with, and the yellow and red gelcaps were that of generic aspirin.

A small clock alarm on his desk beeped angrily at him to wake from his snooping and give Michael a ring to check on him. Getting up with the bottle still in his hand, he grabbed the pictures that fumbled to the floor from their place on his right knee and carried them over to the desk. Tossing the items onto the desktop, he shut off the alarm and checked the time. He had already wasted three and a half hours going through the suitcases and finishing minor business details. 

The phone rang four times before the uneasy voice on the other end picked up. "Hello?"

"Michael? Are you alright?" Nick listened to the clattering of pots and pans and running water in the background as Michael answered the phone.

"Uh, yea. Um, just fine. Just looking for something to fix for lunch." Michael had been trying to juggle holding the phone while making spaghetti for himself. When Nick had called he had been filling the first glass pot with water for the noodles and then moved to fix the sauce. He cursed under his breath as he dropped what sounded like a piece of silverware and then remembered that he was on the line with Nick. "Uh, you coming back soon?"

Nick smiled as he listened. "Yes. I am finishing up here, and should be headed that way within about 10 minutes. Okay?"

"Sure. Um, I guess I'll be here." Michael said with a smile and quickly hung up, not waiting for Nick to say goodbye.

Hanging up and glancing down at the envelope of pictures, he wasn't exactly sure how the night would go. Nick quickly replaced the things back into the bags, excluding a few random items for Michael, and closed up his office. Tossing the few items into his black soft briefcase he carried, and hurried out the door, telling the secretary that sat at her desk, just outside his office, that he would see her on Monday morning.

Nick had thought for the entire way home just how he was going to explain to Michael who he really was and what happened when Michael left those few years ago. Nick had found his lost lover happy with his new life and possibly this Patsy woman was his love in New Jersey. It killed him when Michael left him for "a weekend" and came back five years later. Michael had been happy with his life with Nick but Richard looked truly happy with Patsy. 

He sat stopped at a red light, staring at the picture of Richard and Patsy together on a beach with an overcast day. They looked happy; peaceful. Michael had always been overjoyed to have Nick around but the look in Richard's eyes when he looked at this young woman was true love. He would have looked deeper into the scene if it hadn't been for the cars behind him honking to go for the green light that had changed ten seconds after he stopped. Tossing the picture onto the seat beside him, he quickly made his way through the light and down the street to his driveway.

~~~

Nick parked the car in the drive and gathered his things to take inside. Closing the door and turning the alarm on, he glanced over the top of the maroon Lexus, at the curtain-covered window and took a deep breath before going inside. As he walked up to the front door, he listened for the sound of voices coming from inside. Nick unlocked the door and opened it cautiously. "Michael?" His normal toned voice was no match for the loud booming voices coming from his living room. Stepping inside and closing the door behind him, he called again, louder this time, "Michael?" Still no answer. Placing his things on the chair beside the door, he looked around the two front rooms and found himself alone.

His eye caught the jumpy light of the television screen, in the other room, and headed over to turn it off before calling again for his guest. As Nick hit the Power button, he sighed graciously at the silence. "Michael?" This time he was sure to be heard.

"Here." The voice called from the kitchen, behind Nick.

Turning around and taking a few steps over to the other room, Nick noticed that the young man was naked from the waist up as he stood behind the small cooking island. "What are you doing, love?" As Nick came closer, he saw what Michael had been doing and why he hadn't answered him.

Michael held a white dishtowel in his hands, soaked with spaghetti sauce, and wiped at the countre with it. "I uh- had a little accident. Sorry." Michael blushed. "I'll clean it up. I was making something to eat and guess I turned the burner on too high." He stood there with a peach towel around his waist, trying to clean the countre and the floor before Nick noticed the mess he had made. "It got all over the clothes so, I am washing them. I grabbed a towel to wear while I'm washing them." He smiled reluctantly.

The smile on Nick's face made him wish he had a camera for the strange sight he stared at. Nodding, Nick retrieved a washcloth from the linen closet in the laundry room, a small room that had been hidden behind the kitchen, and helped clean up the mess. "I should have warned you about the stove. It's temperamental."

Both men on the floor, wiping and scrubbing the tile and cabinets had started laughing about the mess. "I guess I don't cook, do I?" Michael had joked as he looked up from his piece of tile to watch the other man shake his head and laugh as Nick wiped down the wood cabinet door. When they finished, they both stood and met at the sink to rinse out their cloths. In that instant, something about the way Nick had looked, on the floor, scrubbing and smiling, made him more vulnerable and less likely to be the monster Michael had hoped he wasn't.

Taking Michael by the hips but stopping himself from kissing him, Nick looked down at the towel on the other man and smiled again, softly. "Why don't you go up and get cleaned up and I'll bring you some fresh clothes to wear while the others are drying."

Michael nodded. "Thanks. And sorry about the mess." Heading upstairs to take a shower, Michael wondered why Nick had stopped himself from an obvious kissing moment. 

Stepping inside Nick's bathroom and closing the door, Michael looked down at the towel around his waist and decided to grab a clean towel and cloth from the small closet. Discarding the dirty towel to the wicker hamper next to the door, he placed the new towel on the side of the tub and opened the showerdoor to run the water. The shower was clean with forest green marble and aluminum fixtures. Hot water rained down from the showerhead and the sweet smell of Nick's simple shampoo and conditioner made Michael smile. "All this money and fancy things and he uses the cheap stuff." The bodysoap he used smelled of mangoes. He loved the smell of mangoes, or did he?

Michael had been so lost in the smells of the soaps that he seemed in a daze as his shower ended and he dried himself. The smell of mangoes made him smile and feel like dancing. Wrapping the new towel around his waist and opening the door, he found Nick placing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt on the bed before retrieving a pair of boxers from his dresser. Without thinking, Michael went over to meet the other man at the end of the bed and kiss his cheek in thanks for the clothes.

Nick turned to look at him in wonder. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes." Michael smiled. "You use mango soap. I remembered I love that smell."

"Great." It was Nick's turn to smile. "I guess it took a scent to bring something back." He wasn't sure if he was happy with that fact or not. It was relieving that Michael was slowly figuring out who he was again, but at the minor dismay of Nick. "I'll let you get dressed. Are you still hungry?" He stepped over to the door and paused for the answer as Michael had busied himself with his towel and clothes.

Michael unwrapped the towel and looked over his shoulder at Nick, facing the bed. His unkempt, wet hair was more of a turn on than anything as its shagginess fell into his eyes as he looked over his new clothes. "Not really but if you are, you can have something without me." He lingered at the foot of the bed, naked, and turned back to the clothes he had been given. Michael had been so busy with wiping the excess water from his body that he hadn't noticed Nick watching him from the doorway momentarily before slipping quietly from the room.

Next...


	5. Chapter 5

The walk along the beach, in the bright moonlight, had been peaceful and exhilarating. Michael spent most of the walk looking up at the moonlight than he did watching where he was going. He stayed at least a few steps infront of Nick, who strolled casually behind him, and took deep breaths at the salty ocean air. Both hadn't said much of anything since they began but Nick had wanted to say so much to the other man that he didn't know where to start.

Nick watched as Michael jumped and stretched and danced as he walked. He smiled at the silhouette of his young love having fun like Michael used to do on their nightly walks. With his hands in the pockets of his loose white khakis, Nick paused and breathed in, letting the cold waves of the black ocean race up the shore and touch his bare ankles before racing back to the ocean to do it again. He closed his eyes and took another breath in as he remembered their first walk along the beach, years prior.

"This is great!" Michael had stopped five steps infront of Nick and turned around to look at his companion. He smiled widely and spread his arms out, feeling the slight cool breeze brush against his skin. Neither one wore shoes so the sand squished between their toes, which made Michael laugh along the way. 

Smiling, Nick took a daring few steps forward and gently kissed the young man without thinking. When he pulled away, remembering the backstory, he apologised and averted his eyes but not before he caught Michael's tongue dart out to run along Michael's top lip in memory. "I'm glad you are enjoying yourself." He smiled again and looked up as Michael came at him, this time kissing him back, with passion. His left hand reached up to caress the back of Michael's head, feeling the silk of the brown hair between his fingers. They kissed deeper and he let his eyes slide closed, thinking this was the Michael he remembered.

Michael had no idea what he was getting into. As he let himself be laid down along the dry beach, their kiss resumed. He could feel hands on him, like warm mittens in the snow. Nick's left hand propped the older man above the younger as the right gingerly strolled across the taut, soft skin of Michael's stomach. Michael stared up at the starry sky and blinked several times as Nick moved his kisses downward on his body. Panic was beginning to creep slowly in. "Nick-? Uh, Nick--?" Numbly, his hands nudged Nick's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Nick looked up from kissing Michael's navel.

A chill ran through him. "I'm kinda cold. Can we go back now?"

Dejected, Nick removed himself from atop of Michael and nodded solemnly. "Of course." Offering a sombre smile, he helped Michael up and led the way back to the house. He was trying to be patient and remembered that it might not be the Michael he came to love but, it was becoming hard to define when Michael would come out with something that he used to do or like and then recoil again. Checking his watch as they made it to the back porch, he spoke softly. "It's time for your medication." Nick slid the glass door open and let the younger man go in first before closing it after he entered behind him.

"Right." Uneasily, Michael unfastened his jeans and slid them down, exposing his bare bottom as he bent over the glass table and waited.

Nick fought back his emotions at the sight of Michael's readiness and remembered the pills he had found in Mich-- Richard's suitcase. "On second thought, love, Henry gave me some pills for you to take. Being that you don't like the shots." Tearing his eyes away from the firm and ready bottom, Nick walked over to his briefcase and removed the bottle. Covering the name with his hand, he opened the top and dumped out a small white pill into his free hand. When he looked up from closing the bottle and slipping it into his pants pocket, Michael had still been in the same position with his pants around his ankles. "You can take this orally, love." A slight smile adorned his face as the other man gave him a quizzical look.

Slightly embarrassed, Michael stood up and turned to receive the pill, not bothering with his jeans that now pooled at his knees. 

Nick handed the pill to him and then went to get a glass of water for Michael to swallow the pill with. When he came back and handed Michael the glass of water, his eyes wandered down to the still exposed and now shyly erect manhood Michael wasn't even bothering to hide. Clearing his throat as he looked back up to meet Michael's eyes, he blushed and turned away as Michael had been watching him through the bottom of the glass as he drank the water. He sighed, frustrated, and went to busy himself with his work that he had brought home from his office before turning in for the night.

~~~

Michael had been thinking about the scene in the kitchen, even after Nick walked away and Michael righted his jeans. The look in Nick's eyes when they met his was more undefinable sadness than lust. Michael could tell the other man wanted him but wasn't willing to be rejected again after Nick tried to start something on the beach.

The house was dark and quiet as Michael lay staring up at the ceiling. The coolness of the sheet beneath him, covering the scratchy sofa cushions, felt nice and warm knit blanket kept him warm from the slight breeze the ceiling fan gave off. He just couldn't sleep. Rolling onto his left side and staring out the curtained window, he sighed and rolled back onto his back. Finally, he couldn't take the silence of the den anymore and decided to get up and see if Nick was still awake for a possible talk or game of cards.

Tip-toeing up the stairs and turning to face Nick's bedroom, he found the door closed and the light off. Silently, he crept up to the door and listened, turning his left ear to the door. As Michael listened harder, he heard soft panting and grunting in soft, rhythmic breaths. Squatting down and leaning back against the wall, he listened through the crack where the door met the frame. A chill passed through him as he was only wearing the boxers and T-shirt Nick had given him to sleep in.

Nick was masturbating but trying to be quiet. His naked body was bathed in night pastels as he lay above the covers on his bed. On his back, in the middle of the bed, his right hand stroked his erection and his eyes slid closed as he pictured several scenarios with his Michael he had loved years prior. Soft gasps as he stroked himself harder, holding onto the memory of the feel of Michael's body. When he came, he wept quietly into his pillow as he rolled onto his right side.

Still squatting outside the door with his arms wrapped about him, Michael heard everything. His breath caught as he heard the sob-filled whisper of his name. A shiver passed through him as Nick cleared his throat and moved from the bed to the bathroom to clean up. Michael took to opportunity to walk back downstairs and sit on the sofa, in the livingroom and turn on the small television. No matter what program he watched, he couldn't get the sounds of Nick's personal interlude out of his head. Turning the channel to watch an advertisement of an omelet maker, Michael had an idea that he wasn't sure if he should put into actions.

As he watched the half hour advert, he decided to make breakfast for Nick in the morning. Granted the spaghetti incident was still fresh in his mind, Michael thought he would try it anyway, only not an omelet as he had no idea if Nick liked them or not. He thought more on the idea before getting up and walking to the dark kitchen to turn on a light and look in the cupboards for something to fix. "It looks like cereal will have to do. Maybe some toast, too. I think I remember how to make coffee and we have juice." Breathing out as he stood in the middle of the kitchen staring into the pantry, adjacent to the refrigerator and facing the beach, Michael closed the door and bit his lower lip in thought. "That'll have to do, I guess."

Michael yawned and looked at the clock on the stove, 12:30. He yawned again and turned off the kitchen light as he went back in to watch television. Grabbing his blanket and pillow from the other room, Michael curled up on the small sofa and tried to stay awake through an old black and white film but eventually drifted off within and hour of turning the channel. He didn't realise how tired he was until he yawned three times in his sleep and had barely switched positions during the night.

His dreams gave way to strange disembodied voices and a pier with a scarcely populated beach in the background. Something hit him from behind and at least a dozen hands were on him doing things to him. Angry voices rang in his ears one minute and the next they had been replaced by a softer, more worried than angry voice. The sweet, female voice replaced the harsh male voices and Michael had made no move to wake up as the strange dream continued.

The morning came quickly and with the angle that he lay in, the sun hit him bright and early at 6:30. A yawn and a stretch as he sat up and stared at the test pattern on the television from not turning it off before he fell asleep. He then stood up and crept upstairs to make sure Nick's door was still closed and he was still asleep, inside. "Good." A soft whisper. He had stopped halfway up the stairs when he was able to fully see the closed door before turning around and going back down to the kitchen. He started with making the coffee and after pushing the button to start brewing, he then went back into the livingroom and folded his blanket. Opening the front door to check for a paper, he smiled at the luck of Nick being predictable. 

As the coffee was nearing the end of brewing, Michael gathered two bowls and the cereal from the cupboards before opening the refrigerator and removing the milk and orange juice. "Glasses," he whispered as he set down the bottle on the table. "And cups." Searching for the juice glasses and pouring the coffee into two mugs that hung from a wooden stand by the coffeepot, he turned around to see Nick, fully dressed in his casual khaki clothes, standing in the doorway of the livingroom.

"Good morning."

A nervous smile adorned Michael's face as he replied with equal nervousness. "Uh,... morning." With the glasses in one hand and one mug in the other, Michael tried to figure out how he was going to carry two full mugs and two empty glass back to the table by himself. He was a bit relieved when Nick came forward and offered to help him with the coffees.

Nick picked up the coffee mugs and followed Michael back to the table, stepping carefully with the full cups. "How did you sleep?" Setting the mugs down at each placing and sitting down in his designated chair, he glanced up to watch as Michael poured the cereal into both bowls and then the milk and juice.

"Okay. How about you?" Michael smiled as he finished pouring the cereal, milk and juice and sat down in his chair. He wasn't expecting Nick to confess just how exactly the night went for him but, he was genuinely concerned for the discreetly heartbroken man. Raising a spoonful of cereal to his lips, he caught Nick looking at him and smiling.

"Good." Nick watched Michael chew the mouthful of cereal and sighed in subtle content before opening the paper to the Business Section and reading the front page. They ate in silence until he looked up from his third page and noticed Michael reading the Sports Section. "What should we do today? Another walk along the beach? Or, take a drive up the coast? What do you feel like doing?" He was secretly hoping for something that only the two of them would be doing but he could tell that Michael was getting restless in the house and needed some other people interaction.

Michael put the section down and thought about what to do as he chewed his last bite of cereal. "A drive sounds good. I don't think I've ever been to California before so, if I have then maybe the drive would bring something back." He smiled and noted how nick brought his coffee mug to his lips as he took a cautioned sip of the hot liquid. For a moment, he almost wanted to kiss the lips that the coffee had delicately moistened. He wondered why.

Smiling back, Nick thought it was a very good idea and agreed. "Alright. I have to make some calls to a few clients, this morning, but we can go after that. Okay?"

Michael nodded and drank his juice quickly before gathering his empty bowl and juice glass and taking them to the sink to wash them. He returned to his seat to finish his coffee and the Sports Section when he calmly felt Nick's eyes on him. He tried to pretend that he didn't notice but the weight of the stare was making him blush. 

With a deep breath and one last sip of his cooling coffee, Nick set down his paper and checked his watch. "Time for--" he paused as Michael had joined him word for word with his sentence.

"Medicine."

Standing up, Nick excused himself from the table to go back upstairs and retrieve the bottle of pills. He was unaware that Michael had followed him but not too close behind and stopped in the doorway of Nick's bedroom. When Nick turned around, he was taken off guard as he wasn't expecting Michael to be standing there, watching him. "What's the matter?" 

The bottle sat on the end of the dresser, closest to the door, over the drawer that housed the sexual toys and jelly. The drawer had been open an inch and a half, just enough to expose the open top to the KY jelly squeeze bottle that Nick had forgotten to close when he replaced the bottle the night before. Michael's eyes caught sight of the top as Nick scooped up the bottle of pills on the dressertop.

"Michael?" Nick was genuinely worried that Michael had not said anything but froze when he saw that the drawer was open. Opening the bottle and picking up a white pill with his thumb and forefinger, he held it up to catch Michael's sight away from the drawer. "Are you alright?"

Shaking himself back to the conversation, Michael looked up to see Nick holding the pill at mouth level. Taking a swallow and leaning closer to take the pill, he decided to use his mouth instead of his hand. Gingerly, he sucked on Nick's fingers as he removed the pill from them and dryly chewed it and swallowed it before again sucking on Nick's two fingers and then slowly shifting to the rest of them.

Nick swallowed hard as he watched Michael. He wasn't sure how to approach the situation. "Mich-- Michael, I don't want to start something--" He was cut off as Michael switched from Nick's fingers to easing closer to kiss his mouth. The kiss started nervously but he could feel Michael easing into it as the kiss deepened. Nick placed his hands on Michael's hips and lightly pushed the thin shirt material up to rub his thumbs against the taut skin underneath. His mind was screaming at him to stop before Michael pulled away again but his heart was telling him to just go slowly and let Michael lead, for now. 

When the kiss ended, Nick closed his eyes and tipped his head back in silent prayer that this wouldn't end badly for either of them. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Michael completely away from him, again. He was a little surprised when Michael held a hand upto Michael's newly grown erection. Opening his eyes to see Michael staring back at him with a small smile, Nick swallowed and smiled back.

"I think I'm ready now." It came out as a whisper but Nick seemed to hear it loud and clear. At first, Michael wasn't sure what he was doing but the vibe that he was getting from Nick wasn't saying anything bad. And from what he had heard the night prior, didn't tell him that Nick had wanted nothing more than just sex from him but that Nick truely cared for the real Michael and that it had broken his heart when Michael didn't recognise him at all.

A slight shiver as Nick nodded softly. "Are you sure?"

Michael took a breath and then kissed the other man again, more passionately than before. "Yes."

"I don't want to scare you, again."

Michael stepped back and pulled his shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor as he went over to sit down on the end of the bed. Waving Nick over to him and watching the other man pause at the open drawer and remove the KY and a condom before joining Michael on the bed. By this time, he knew the pill was taking effect and decided to go with it, if that was what it would take to let him remember who he really was and why Nick was convinced he was Michael's fiance.

Nick set the bottle and condom down on the floor and then knelt between Michael's legs and unfastened Michael's jeans. Removing the hardened length from the confining denim and giving the younger man a quick smile, Nick wrapped one arm around Michael's waist while his free hand held the base of the erection as he started to lightly lick and suck on the head. He heard a deep gasp and felt Michael's whole body quake with anticipation. Nick continued sucking and rolling his tongue up and down the shaft until warm fluid coated his tongue. Michael's hands were in his hair, urging him to keep going eventhough Nick had no intention of stopping.

Tossing his head back as he couldn't stop himself from coming, Michael was panting when he finally looked down at Nick and smiled in pleasurable numbness. Reclining and taking Nick's hand to pull him up onto the bed was a big step that Michael had to calm himself down and remind himself that Nick would stop if he said "no." But, given the state Nick had been in and the strange attraction to him, Michael reasoned with himself to let it happen and see where it led. As Nick undressed with him watching, Michael admitted to himself that he was a bit nervous even as Nick had started slowly undressing him while kissing every inch of fresh bare skin.

As Nick put the condom on and squirt the jelly into Michael's tight channel, both men paused to search each other's eyes for any signs of stopping but found none. The initial push in was enough to make Nick come right then but he held off as he started a soft and slow rhythm with the younger man. Both had gasped but Nick took the time to watch what he was doing to Michael and how Michael was responding. As he increased his speed to a fraction of degree, Nick found the part of the old Michael come alive in the new one. Nice and slow to the very end as Nick stroked Michael's returning erection with his free hand and both gasped out loud as they came in unison.

Panting and sweating, Michael reached up to pull Nick's mouth near and kissed him, letting Nick know how good he felt as they lay together on the bed above the covers. "Maybe we should just lounge for today."

A smile and wink as Nick nodded and kissed Michael's left temple as he removed himself and sunk down to rest beside him.

 

Continued.


	6. Chapter 6

_The loudness of the music and screams of hundreds of people as they cried out in joy and laughter was deafening to his ears. Coloured flags flew up one side of the avenue and down the other with wild excitement. He looked around the crowded streets and even paused to watch the string of flamboyant floats that paddled down the avenue and even smiled and waved back at the lines of men in drag. Half-naked people lined either side of the avenue for what seemed like miles and miles. Noise came from all directions; some in songs, some in laughter, and some in declarations of love and sex._

_Backing up as a group of leather-clad men passed in front of him, he bumped into another man and quickly turned to apologise. "I'm sorry," he had to shout over the crowd that had for some reason gotten louder. The young man was about Michael's age and handsome. He smiled as the man smiled back at him with a wink._

_"It's okay." The yell back was a sweet sound, not harsh at all. "I'm Richard. What's yours?" The man was a handsome dirty-blond and somewhat muscular in the arms and torso. In fact, except for the short blond hair, he looked almost like Michael. His white T-shirt and tight blue jeans caught Michael's eye immediately. His voice had been a bit deeper than Michael's but it still carried a softness to it that Michael found exhilarating._

_With a smile, he answered. "I'm Michael." He stepped back as two butch-looking women, holding hands, passed between them. He wasn't sure if it was because of the dream or if it happened at all but his dream seemed to pull things along. "You wanna get a drink, or something, out of the noise?" He shouted overtop of the trumpets and drums that now came merrily down the avenue._

_"Sure! Come on, I know a spot where it's quiet." Richard took Michael by the hand and led him out of the crowd and over to a small cafe that had boomed since the Pride Parade began but was now mellowing out as the day got later. The feel of Richard's hand felt almost like Michael's own. It was warm and smooth, not cold or clammy like in some dreams. The scent that followed Richard was a faint baby powder smell._

_As they stepped in and sat down at a corner booth, in the back of the cafe, Richard ordered two beers and two slices of pie that they had settled on. Sitting across from the other young man, he smiled and asked if this was Michael's first parade._

_Michael smiled back and took a sip of the beer that had been placed in front of him a minute prior. "No." He blushed, shyly. "I'm here visiting my parents and got caught up in this one. How about you?" Folding his arms on the edge of the table, he watched as Richard took a long swallow of his beer before answering._

_Richard blushed, now. "Yea. I wanted to come last year but, I had to work on a project all week. Is it always this exciting?"_

_Laughing, Michael nodded. "Yep. The year before last, we had very few Dotties show up. This year actually made up for the loss." He paused for another sip. "You live around here?"_

_"No." Richard took another sip. "I'm actually moving down to South River. Staying here over night and then heading out in the morning. My hotel is just down the street."_

Michael woke up to the sound of the shower turning on. It sounded like a loud crash of thunder that came from the bathroom. He sat up and found himself alone in the bed and that the bathroom door was cracked open. Nick was in the shower, and the room looked somewhat darker around him. He stretched and slid off of the bed, creeping closer to the bathroom door. Peeking through the crack, he saw the silhouette of Nick behind the screen and bit his lower lip in thought of what to do next.

As Nick washed his hair and body, he paid no attention to the younger man creeping into the room, behind him. Aside from getting clean, Nick was standing in the hot spray for warmth and to relax with his eyes shut. The sound of the door opening made him open his eyes and turn around in surprise. "Michael? Did I wake you?"

Michael wanted to say 'yes' but thought it would only hurt Nick's feelings so, he smiled and closed the door behind him and said, "not really." Their naked bodies met in the warmth of the hot water. He had been taken by surprise as Nick wrapped his arms around him and turned him around to press him against the cold wall of the shower.

Nick kissed Michael's lips and then moved down to his neck and chest, reveling in the feel of Michael's body and the loving arms that now received him openly. As he made it down to Michael's waist and started to lick hungrily at the protruding erection, he looked up at Michael looking down at him and paused. "What's the matter, love?" When he stood up, he could see that Michael's expression was between happiness and confusion. "Michael?"

With no words to come out and a cold chill that raced down his spine, Michael shook his head and kissed the older man again. He wasn't sure what the dream meant, or who the Richard man was but he silently hoped it would shed more light on who he was and how he managed to be mistaken for Nick's lover. The sexual experience with Nick was groundbreaking and explosive, in terms of sensations, but it had only served to give him cryptic dreams.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Nick tried to make sense of what Michael's expression was saying but couldn't. He kissed the frozen lips in hopes of bringing back Michael's voice and only found that Michael was kissing him back with passion that sparked his excitement even more. The kiss deepened until neither could stand it any longer. Turning off the water, backing out of the showerstall and grabbing his towel, Nick dried them both off and guided Michael back to the bed.

~~~~

Their play had lasted off and on for several hours but Michael was still thinking of the dream he had. It was well after dark by the time Nick had let Michael settle down for a snooze. Michael wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to sleep so, he propped himself up on his right elbow and watched the other man sleep, peacefully. He found it amazing that Nick let him try a few things instead of Nick limiting it to just one person. 

The more Michael explored Nick's body and let the sensations guide him, the more he felt alien to himself. He enjoyed how Nick made him feel but, it wasn't what he had originally thought of when Nick gave him the first shot and told him that only sex would cure the side effects. He breathed in and out quietly, listening to Nick's soft and even breathing.

A yawn as he moved his arm to lay his head down on the pillow and close his eyes.

It took awhile for Michael to fall asleep but he lay there quietly and listened to the peacefully dreamings of the man beside him. In falling asleep, his ears filled with the sounds of his own laughter and the jokings of another man, whom he assumed was Nick. 

_Spring had caused Michael to be extra hot in clothes so, he shimmied out of even the thinnest T-shirt and shortest shorts to lounge on the livingroom sofa absolutely naked. Nick had noticed his nude lover, stretched out and posed like an elegant 19th century painting, as he retrieved a cup of black coffee from the kitchen._

_"What are you doing? It's the middle of the day, Michael." Nick stood in the entryway, between the den where he had been working on plans and the livingroom. The cup of hot liquid had been perched at his lips when he noticed Michael's very firm erection._

_Michael laughed seductively and crooked a finger at Nick for him to approach. "It is never too early for naked sex, Nicky. Come on, take off that ridiculous suit and go grab the honey."_

_Nick sighed and shook his head. "No, I have alot of work to do and I'm expecting a business associate to drop by with plans on the new Metro-mall. Get dressed and we can play later, okay?" He continued on into the den to finish his plans but paused to look up to watch Michael grab his clothes and stomp upstairs like a pouting child. With another sigh, Nick wondered what a younger man saw in an older, business professional like himself. He admitted to himself that Michael had given him an excuse to relax and have fun on several occasions but that was all Michael seemed to be interested in._

_After what seemed like only a few moments, Nick appeared in the bedroom doorway with his dress shirt half-unbuttoned. He found Michael lounging on the bed, still naked, and rubbing lotion over his body. "Some left for me?"_

_As Michael looked up at the older man who was removing his suitpants, he smiled and nodded wickedly._

Michael awoke and sat up to find that it was still nighttime and Nick was still asleep beside him. Checking the clock on the other side of Nick, he sighed as he had only been asleep for a few hours. Flopping back down onto the pillow, he stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours before yawning and rolling away from the other man to close his eyes again and sleep. 

_There was fighting and loud voices but he couldn't see anything but blackness and floating coloured spots. He felt someone holding onto his arms and shaking him violently as they were yelling. The words were indistinct but the tone was something he had come to know somehow._

_"I forbid it! You come back and expect me to just let you walk in here like before? Everything's changed!" The voice yelled but didn't reveal the face of his attacker. It was a male voice and definitely older, much older than Nick but not quite older than Dr. Madison. "Get back here! Don't you walk out when I'm talking to you. You're still my son, and I can tell you how stupid you're acting!"_

_Michael had screamed something back but it seemed to come out in extremely slow motion. In fact, he couldn't seem to run faster than the tar for a ground would let him. By that time, the words blended together and his vision spun with the strange scenery. He was being shaken again and his name was being called, over and over, louder and louder until his ears hurt and rang with the new voice._

"Michael! Wake up!" Nick sat on his knees and was shaking Michael by the forearms, waiting for the younger man to wake from his animated nightmare. The blanket to the bed had been kicked to the floor at the end of the bed and the sheet was in total disarray. "Open your eyes, Michael! It's Nick. You're okay. No one will hurt you, now. Wake up, love!"

When Michael finally opened his eyes with a loud scream, he stared straight into big, soft brown eyes. "He's gone. It's over! It's over!" He sighed audibly and wrapped his arms around Nick's bare shoulders, letting the calm breathing of the other man calm him down. "It was horrible. This man was shouting at me, horrible things. I couldn't see him. I just couldn't see him, or run fast enough, but he kept yelling and shaking me."

Nick pulled him away to hold him at arms length and try to calm him down. "He can't hurt you, here. You're safe, love. I promise." Concern played over his darkened features but he tried to only show Michael reassurances. He sighed inwardly and wondered if their play had shook loose a few bad memories. As tears spilled down, Nick embraced him again and did his best to listen. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Holding the older man as if his sanity counted on it, Michael shook his head and mumbled a sob-filled "no."

"Okay." They sat there a few moments until Nick could pull away. "I'll go downstairs and get some water for you. You should probably take your medicine, too." Making his way to the end of the bed and sliding off, Nick paused as his hand was grabbed in thought. He turned and smiled softly. "Lie down, and I'll only be a minute, love." As Michael obliged, he left the room and hurried downstairs and through the dark house to the kitchen.

~~~~

The phone rang three times and was picked up on the fourth by a groggy-sounding man on the other end. "Hello?"

"Henry, it's Nick. Drop what you're doing tomorrow morning and come over." Nick had kept his voice low enough so that the sound wouldn't travel up to the bedroom. He hadn't waited for the doctor to say anything more than a greeting before he frantically spilled out his instructions.

Henry sat up in bed and turned on his bedside lamp to look at the old fashioned alarm clock by the phone. "Nicholas? What's the matter? Is Michael alright?"

Nick wedged the cordless phone between his right shoulder and his ear to free his hands that numbly reached for the cabinets to get a glass for Michael's water. "Yes, yes, Michael's alright. He had a bad dream; one that was very damaging for him. I'm getting him some water now, but I need you to bring your bag and maybe help put an end to this dilemma." Spinning around to face the fawcett, he filled the glass with water and then set it on the countre while he paused to think of which kind of treatment to give the upset young man. 

"Bad dreams, huh? Hmm. What did you and he do all day? How did he react to the activities?" Henry was genuinely curious and wondered if he shouldn't come over that moment. His wife had been asleep, next to him, and only rolled away from him as the dim light flickered on. This being Henry's second wife, he was glad that she at least understood his late night calls from frantic patients. As Nick proceeded to tell him the day's events, he sighed and furrowed his brow at the sex. "Nicholas, I told you it was too early for that. Let him come into it on his own."

Grabbing the syringe filled with yellow liquid from the silverware drawer, Nick had to stop himself from raising his voice in retort. "I did let him come into it, doctor. He was the one who gave me permission to make love to him. We took a nap after a breakfast play, and then I took a shower. He started in again, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up to him screaming and thrashing in bed." He paused again to carry both the syringe and glass of water in one hand and the phone in the other to the bottom of the stairs. "I am on my way up to give him his medicine. I should be up by seven."

Henry agreed and said his goodbyes before they hung up. Turning off the light and snuggling down into the bed, he mumbled under his breath, "that poor boy."

Nick carried up the water and syringe after replacing the phone back on the cradle, in the kitchen. Taking a small breath before entering the room, he found Michael sitting up again and waiting for him. "I'm back. It's all right. Here is some water and then I had a shot for you. Are you hungry at all?"

Michael had been too shaken to notice his own stomach growling louder with each second. "A little. Too early for eggs?"

Looking over at the clock, Nick smiled. "No, I don't think 2 A.M. is too early for eggs." Holding up the syringe as he looked back and setting the glass down on the floor, after letting Michael take a few sips from it, he waited for Michael to roll onto his stomach for the shot. After administering the shot, Nick found himself tempted by the firm mounds that had been presented but decided to abstain for the night. "Come on, I'll fix you some eggs."

Michael had waited for something to happen, like a touch or a kiss or something but nothing happened. He rolled over to find Nick standing at the doorway and waving him to hurry up. Michael shivered as he stood up and debated slipping on some clothes that Nick had folded neatly and placed on the dressertop but decided not to as they left the room and headed downstairs.

 

Continued.


	7. Chapter 7

Michael lay on the sofa in the front living room, on his back with his hands resting on his chest, as instructed by Henry and Nick. He had been fully clothed in jeans and T-shirt and still felt uncomfortable from the night before. The red wool blanket was itchy but he was warm as Nick had tucked him in tightly. The horizontal shutters had been closed to make the room somewhat dark from the bright sunny morning. He stared at the ceiling in wonder of why Henry wanted to ask him about the dream he'd had when even Michael didn't understand it.

At long last, Henry came over and sat down on the edge, beside Michael, and smiled down at him. "Michael, are you comfortable?"

Michael nodded and continued to stare at the white ceiling.

"Do you want to tell me what happened last night? What gave you the dream that scared you so much?" Henry's voice was soft and calm. He kept his focus on the man lying down eventhough he could feel Nick's anxiety as the other man leaned against the wall to the kitchen, holding a cup of tea, behind them. 

Shaking his head, Michael kept focus on a spot on the ceiling, desperately trying to shove the unknown man's face out of his mind. 

Henry sighed and examined Michael's expression. "Michael, do you not want Nick to be here? Or, do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No." Michael turned his head to face the back of the cream sofa and close his eyes. "I don't know anymore. It's all jumbled. Go away, please." His head hurt from the lack of sleep and the constant tumblings of faces and names and voices that ran through his head. The faces swirled around at every eye blink so much it had made him ill to his stomach to close his eyes. The voices pounded their way into his eardrums until he could hear nothing but loud yelling even when no one in the room was talking.

Clearing his throat, Henry turned to look at a helpless Nick and calmly asked him to leave the room. Seeing the weak look in Nick's eyes, the man reluctantly agreed and nodded as he made his way to the stairs, leaving Henry alone with Michael. "Now, it's just us, Michael. You don't have to be afraid of Nick hearing anything that is between us. If you don't feel comfortable telling me about the dream, will you at least tell me what lead up to you having that dream, and we can go from there?"

Michael closed his eyes and then opened them after a moment of contemplation. "We made love, I watched him sleep, that's it."

"You made love with Nicholas?"

Michael nodded.

"Was this willingly, or did you feel obligated to entertain sexual comforts with him?"

"Willingly." Michael turned his head and stared up at the doctor in shock. "What's that supposed to mean?" He started to sit up but was eased back to lying down by a gentle hand on his left shoulder. He was confused with why the doctor would ask him such a question when he had been told that he and Nick belonged together. His heart pounded in his chest, hoping he wasn't the recipient of a cruel joke.

Henry patted Michael's shoulder and did his best to soothe the young man. "All I meant was, your memory hasn't come fully back, yet. Pulling away in the slightest, from making love with Nicholas, would say a lot about the how the evening continued. If it was completely consensual, then perhaps something else started this. Did you enjoy making love to him?"

"Yes."

Thinking for a moment, Henry shifted on the sofa, placing his hands in his lap. "Michael, did you recognise the man from your dream?"

"No. I don't remember him, or the guy at the party. I don't know. Alright?"

Henry leaned forward. "What guy at the party? Where was the party, Michael?"

Michael had to think about what he had just said. He didn't recall going to a party with Nick. In fact, he didn't see Nick anywhere in his dream. "He was some guy going to South River. I met him at some party--" Michael silenced himself. He remembered the pictures he had found in Nick's drawer, in the back of his dresser. "Leave me alone. Go away." Rolling his body away from Henry, he covered his face with his right hand and closed his eyes, not knowing what to believe anymore. He felt lied to and humiliated that someone he had come to care for had lied to him to further his sexual appetites.

Henry sat there in silence and studied Michael's profile. "Michael, one more question and then I'll let you rest. Do you remember anything prior to meeting us on the boardwalk? Where you were before you took the walk on the beach?" He debated telling the confused young man about the two suitcases with his other life in them but felt it wasn't his decision to make. Michael had always been someone he enjoyed talking to and spending time with but Nick had given him instructions not to upset him anymore than he already was.

"Nope."

Henry couldn't help but ask one more question. A question he was dying to know the answer to, since he left the young man alone with Nick. "Do you feel comfortable here, with Nicholas?"

Sighing but not turning back to look at the doctor, Michael shrugged, "I guess. Not like I really remember anywhere else I have to be."

 

~~~~~~

Nick had busied himself with changing the bedding and separating laundry. He wondered what Henry and Michael were talking about and how Michael was taking the information. He thought about the pictures on the cell phone and the female caller, Patsy, who seemed worried about not hearing from "Richard." As he shoved his pillow into a clean pillowcase, he let himself feel the sensations of making love to Michael, the night before. His body shivered as he could feel Michael's hands on him and then his mouth and warmth of their play. 

A knock on the bedroom door before Henry entered. He looked as if he had been torn between telling Nick what happened and telling him to tell Michael what the had discovered in the hotel room. "Well, the boy and I have had a long talk." He stood just inside the doorway and watched Nick gruffly shoving the second pillow into the pillowcase.

"And?" Nick was dreading what the rest of the diagnosis was and braced himself for disappointment.

Henry shrugged and took a step closer. "I think he is starting to piece things together but he isn't sure what they mean. He mentioned meeting a man who was going to South River but didn't say where the party was that he met the man at. As for the man that scared him, I don't know what to think of. How are his meds? Have you got enough?"

"They're fine." Nick took an audible breath and set the pillow down, on the floor between his feet, as he sat on the bed. "The man that was yelling at him was his dad. Michael's dad. The day he told his parents he was gay and moving in with me, his dad disowned him." He felt a little guilty for keeping that piece from him but it hadn't fit into anything of their times together. "His parents lived in Jersey City so, I don't know how he got down to South River. I don't know what happened to him, Henry, but he is my Michael."

The room went quiet and seemed to get darker even though it was 10 o'clock in the morning. The bed was made, the clothes were in neat piles at the foot of the bed and yet, it seemed skewed by what Nick had said. 

"Is he alright, Henry?" Nick finally turned his head and looked up at his old friend, who came to sit down beside him on the bed.

"Yes. He is resting." Henry felt the buzz of his cell phone in his jacket pocket. He had been paged several times, by his wife, but didn't bother to answer them as his friends' health came first. "Have you thought about telling him about the suitcases? Or asking him why he feels comfortable enough to stay here with you, willingly?" Placing a calm hand on Nick's right shoulder, Henry broke his silence. "Nick, Michael needs to be told what happened before he left for New Jersey. Something must have happened to make him want to go back and become someone else. Was he unhappy with his life here? Are you sure he really wanted to give up everything for you?"

Nick flinched at the verbal slaps Henry was releasing but he knew it was true, or most of it. "We had a disagreement, sure, but it was a small one. He wouldn't be so childish to leave on that account. He said he just wanted to try and talk to his mom, get her to understand. Henry, he wanted to get married. Married to me. Why would he, all of a sudden, just disappear and start a new life? It doesn't make sense."

The buzz of the cell phone gave Henry an idea as he removed it from his pocket and flipped it open to look at the name. "Perhaps, getting in touch with the young lady who Richard knows, would be a start?" 

Nick nodded and glanced over at the phone in Henry's hand.

Standing up, Henry patted Nick's shoulder and excused himself to return the call to his wife. "Sorry, Nicholas, I should be getting home." Turning to walk back to the door, he paused and turned back. "Get some rest, as well. You're no use to Michael if you aren't well enough to help both of you through this." Forcing a small smile as Nick had managed to look up at him when he stopped and turned around, he could see the hurt and struggle in Nick's eyes as the wonderment of "how" washed over him. A feeling of dread seemed to slowly rise up in his stomach as he thought this could only end badly for both men. He had hated to see Nick in such discontent as he searched year after year, trying to find Michael and wondering why he had left without a word of goodbye. 

Making his way down the stairs to the door, Henry glanced over at the darkened sofa, where Michael still lay, asleep. He paused when he got to the bottom step and thought to himself that Nicholas had a long road ahead of him but Michael had an even longer and more obstacled one ahead of him. He said a silent prayer for them both and then exited the house, quietly.

~~~~

Two hours had passed since Nick had fallen asleep on the bed. The laundry still lay in neat piles on the floor, waiting to be washed, and the last pillow hung half way out of the last clean casing for the bed. It was now after 1PM and Nick stretched, taking a breath loudly as he rolled onto his back from sleeping on his right side. He took a minute to assess where he was and his daily priorities but remembered the more pressing issue to deal with. Something he was dreading.

Sitting up, Nick looked at the open door to the bedroom and listened for any movement from downstairs. Not hearing anything, Nick stood and moved over to the banister, at the top of the stairs. From there, he could see Michael's feet still lying on the sofa and turned in a way that Michael would have been surely asleep. He thought for a moment about what to do and how to present the findings to Michael. Nick knew he had to talk to Patsy but he was afraid that if she didn't like what he had to say, she would fly to California and take "Richard" back.

Nick went back into the bedroom and shut the bedroom door quietly. He then made his way over to the bathroom to splash cool water on his face and ready himself for the phone call he knew he would regret. Henry's words rang in his ears. Maybe she would know what happened? He splashed another handful of water on his face, holding his hand over his eyes as if to give himself the confidence he needed.

Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Nick took a deep breath and convinced himself to make the call.

Retrieving the cell phone from his jacket pocket, hanging in the closet, Nick flipped it open and turned it on, scrolling through the names of the recent calls. Her name was the fourth on the list and taking a breath again, Nick pushed the call button and cleared his throat. It rang only twice before a relieved and happy voice answered.

_"Richie! Where have you been?"_

Nick cleared his throat again, out of startlement. "My name is Nicholas Hanson. I'm a friend of-- Richard's."

Patsy was silent a moment. _"Has something happened? Is he alright? Where is he?"_

"He's fine. Just has a little bump on the head. I uh- wanted to ask you? How well do you know Richard? Have you met his family? Friends?" Nick sat down on the end of the bed and stared at his reflection, again, in his dresser mirror.

Patsy was quiet again. The noise from the background sounded as if she had just gotten home from grocery shopping and was coming through the front door when the phone rang. The paper bags crumpled and popped as she set the first two of six onto the kitchen countre. _"I don't know much about him. We met a few years ago, on the beach."_

"On the beach? South River?"

Patsy paused. _"No, Asbury. Is this some joke?? Is he like schitzo or something?"_

"No, no," Nick tried to calm her without raising his voice for Michael to hear. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before letting out the real reason for the call. "His name isn't Richard Asbury. It's Michael, Michael Larson. He left California six years ago to visit his family in Jersey City. A week ago, I found him walking on the beach with no memory of who I am. I need-- I need your help to fill in the blanks. How did you two meet and why was he in Asbury?" He felt hopeful but waited for the mean retort and the click of the phone hanging up.

Patsy placed the last two bags of groceries on the kitchen countre and had been listening to him as she unpacked them and put the frozen foods into her small icebox. _"I don't know much. Some friends and I were having a bonfire picnic when we heard screaming and yelling coming from further down the beach. These snotty kids were beating up two guys who weren't doing anything. They both looked pretty thrashed and when the sirens started, the punks ran. Neither of them had any ID or wallet so, it was hard to get a name. The one guy that was completely thrashed died on the way to the hospital. Richie was beaten up and looked pretty horrible but he survived. The doctors kept asking him his name and all he would say was 'Richard'. No one came forward to say that they knew him so, he was stuck. I felt sorry for him losing his friend so, I started visiting him and calling him Richard. After a while, he was well enough to be discharged and I offered to give him a place to stay."_ When she finished putting away the frozen foods, she left the rest of the groceries on the countre and made her way to the living room sofa to sit down. _"Does he remember who I am?"_

Nick shuttered. "No, I haven't asked him about Jersey. I've been trying to relax him enough that maybe he will remember on his own."

_"I have some time off coming. I can fly down there in a couple of days. Look, if he is really Michael, and not Richard, and if he knew you before then maybe seeing me will snap something around? What kind of life did he have out there? Was he married? Did he had a girlfriend? I don't even know how old he is."_ Patsy had thought of a direction Nick was terrified of. 

His heart pound in his chest and the voice inside him was telling him to stop and pull back. Nick closed his eyes again and nodded. "Michael and I were together. We were supposed to get married when he came back from Jersey. His dad threw him out and he wanted to go back to talk to his mother. Michael needs to know who he is before we walk down the aisle. If I lose him to you, or if he stays with me, that's up to him."

Patsy's heart flinched as she heard Nick's declaration of Michael's love. Over the years, she had fallen in love with Richard and it was all possible that he had fallen for her. However, the missing piece to the puzzle was how he came to be on the receiving end of a gruesome beating that cost the life of his friend and nearly himself as well. _"I can be there on Wednesday. I have to let my boss know I need some time off. Does he remember anything at all about being here?"_

"Only in dreams." Nick opened his eyes and straightened his posture from a deflated slouch and once again, stared at his reflection, thinking he could justify himself to it. "I'll have a hotel room reserved for you."

The call ended but left both parties with more questions than answers. Nick wasn't sure how Michael would react to having another person telling him who they remembered him to be, let alone a female telling Michael she was in love with him as Richard. Placing the once again shut off phone on the bed, Nick sat there and argued with his reflection that he was doing the right thing in trying to help Michael. What happened if Michael wanted to be Richard and live his life as a straight man, instead of who he really was? Nick had to know what happened to make Michael want to change who he was.

Continued.


End file.
